Radiographic couch



E. POHL RADIOGRAPHIG COUCH Dec. 28, 1937.

Filed Oct. 5, 1954 Patented Dec. 28, 1937 RADIOGRAPHIC COUCH Ernst Pohl,Kiel, Germany Application October 5,

1934, Serial No. 747,100

In Germany February 12, 1934- 8 Claims.

Figure 1 shows the couch with one patient support only in place in sideelevation in use for a stomach examination.

Figure 2 is an elevation from the right, the parts built into theframe-work being omitted.

Figure 3 shows the couch with both supports in place in side elevationwhen inclined forwardly with the patient lying face downwards.

Figure 4 shows the couch turned right over the front when used fordistance exposures with the patient lying face upwards.

Figure 5 shows the removable second support for the patient.

The new couch has a tilting frame consisting of two parallel annularmembers a formed from metal tubes and connected by transverse struts b.The frame is in its lower part made approximately circular, rests onpairs of rollers c, c 30 and can be tilted by driving one of the rollersor one pair of rollers'by means of an electric motor 1" and a worm drive3, t. The rollers c are mounted with pivots v in bearings w supported bya base plate 3:, whereas the rollers c are fixed 35 upon a shaft 22which is mounted in supports o also supported by the base plate 1:. Themotor r too is mounted upon the base plate.

In the tilting frame there is provided a support d for the patient and aseat 6 for the radiolo- 40 gist.

X-ray tube f and the screen g is guided in the usual manner. The seat 6is adjustable at least backwardly and forwardly and is preferablyfoldable. Its back rest 2 may, as shown in Figure 1,

45 carry a holder h for a cassette so that distance exposures, forexample of the lungs, can be made with the patient standing; The desireddistance from the tube is obtained by displacing the seat e.

As a second support for the patient there is- 50 provided a frame 1'(Figures 3 and 5) preferably covered with fabric 2. This frame ispreferably intended to receive the patient face downwards,

and with this object in view it has an aperture 2 provided with crossbands 2' forming supports for 55 the forehead and the chin of thepatient so that On the support 01 the carriage carrying the thepatient-may have in his face downwards position free sight and freerespiration and not- Withstanding'have the head firmly resting on thesupport. The band for the chin could eventually be dispensed with. Thisframe can be inserted in the tilting frame and can be adjustably securedby means of the following arrangement. The tilting frame is provided onthe horizontal straight upper part of each metal tube with an adjustablesleeve is which can be fixed in any de- 9 sired position by means of a'clamp'screw Z; The frame 2' can be inserted with upwardly projectingparts m in grooves n of the sleeves. At the lower end the frame 2' hasat each side a bar 0 directed towards the support (2 and having a seriesof holes p. The bars 0 can each be connected with the support b by meansof a pin u. Frame 1' can thus be adjusted at any desired distance fromthe support. It can be adjusted with in clination in the longitudinaldirection as well as in 20 the transverse direction at an angle withrelation to the support (1. The support d is in a known maner pivotallymounted in the frame a by means of pivots y, 1/ rotatably mounted inbearings z, .2 which are secured to the frame a.

The radiologist after having occupied the seat 6 can move thearrangement by means of a contact 7' which controls the electric motorrin such a manner that the patient, as shown in Figure 3 comes to lieface downwards while the radiologist himself lies upwards so that he canconveniently directly observe the screen while the rays pass through thepatient from above. If the couch is to be used as a trochoscope theradiologist takes up a position beside the couch and by means of 35 themotor control he can turn the couch in a known manner so that thepatient lies face upwards with the tube ,1 below and the fluorescentscreen g above. I r

According to Figure 4 the frame 2' can also be 40 used as a support forthe patient for distance exposures in all-positions from the vertical tothe horizontal position. The frame a is then disconnected from thesleeve 70 and the support d and rests with the upper extensions mon supports q attached to the frame tubes at and with the lower end on theseat e.

The tube 1 is arranged vertically in the device according to the drawingbut can also be swung into another position and is preferably so mountedthat it may be withdrawn laterally from the arrangement in order forexample to be used for dental exposures outside the device.

I claim:

1. A radiographic couch comprising a base, a

frame tiltably mounted on said base, and two supports for practicallythe whole length of the body of the patient capable of being mounted insaid frame in opposition to each other for receiving the patient betweenthem, the distance between said supports being variable depending on thethickness of the patient. 7

2. A radiographic couch comprising a base, a frame tiltably mounted onsaid base, two supports for practically-the whole length of the body ofthe patient capable of being mounted in said frame in opposition to eachother for receiving the patient between them, the distance between saidsupports being variable depending on the thickness of the patient, andmeans for tilting the frame backwards and forwards from 'a middleposition. i

3. A radiographic couch as claimed in claim 1,

further comprising means for positioning the supports'obliquely to oneanother.

4. A radiographic couch comprising a base, a frame tiltably'mountedthereon, and two supports for practically the whole length'ofthe body ofthe patient capable of being mounted in said frame in opposition to'eachother for receiving the patient between them, the distance betweensaid supports being variable depending on'the thickness of the patient,'oneof said supports being adapted to support the patient stretched outin face upwards position and the other being adapted to support thepatient stretched out in face downing the patient stretched out in facedownwards position, and a seat for the radiologist combined with saidtiltable frame for common movement therewith.

1 '6. A radiographic couch as claimed in claim 5,

further comprising a mechanism for imparting a tilting movement to thesaid frame, and electric means for controlling said mechanism, saidelectric means being adapted to be operated by the radiologist whenoccupying his seat.

7..A radiographic couch as claimed in claim 5, having the seat for theradiologist arranged opposite one of the patient supports.

8. A radiographic couch, comprising a base, a tiltable frame on saidbase, a main support adapted to receive the body of the patient instretched out position, said support being permanently combined withsaid frame, a separate second support for the stretched out body of thepatient and means'for removably mounting said a second support in theframe.

ERNST POHL.

